A mum was shocked to find out she might have been storing her veggies wrong after spotting a hidden message in her fridge.
It seems like being an adult is just finding out you’re doing things wrong, even with your vegetables.
Most of us throw our healthy food into the drawer of our fridges, hoping they’ll stay fresh while we enjoy a cheeky takeaway instead of going bad right away.
However, this lady caused quite a stir when she found a secret label on her fridge that made her rethink everything.
She thought she and everyone else had been putting vegetables in the wrong place for ages. Her discovery led to a big chat online, with lots of surprised people in Britain, and even got a food expert to give some advice.
In 2020, she shared a picture on the Mums Who Clean Facebook group. It showed her carrots in the drawer with a little sticker that said: “Do not store fruits or vegetables in the chilled room. The fruits or the vegetables could get frozen.”
She wondered, “So I’ve been doing this wrong my whole life?”. Other people said it made sense why their veggies sometimes turned into ice, reports The Mirror Online.
One person answered: “Yeah that’s what I use the drawer for too and mine used to always freeze up. I thought maybe I had the temps wrong then I bought a mat that helps keep your food fresh and that worked – weird though glad I’m not the only one.”
Another person responded: “Omg that’s why my veggies are freezing.” A third chimed in: “I’ve always used this for fruit and veg. Actually, mine says it is for fruit and veg. Who knows?”
Some people argue that the drawer is intended for meat, not fresh fruit and vegetables. One person commented: “Meat should always be at the bottom of your fridge as if it leaks on things that won’t be cooked you can get food poisoning.”
But Mimi Morley, a top chef at HelloFresh, has stepped in to clear up the confusion. She explained that fruit and vegetables should be kept on the bottom shelf of the fridge – but don’t just toss everything in there.
Each drawer has a specific purpose. Mimi explained: “It’s a common misconception that the two drawers at the bottom of the fridge are the same. In fact, each drawer has its own exclusive purpose with one designed to create a high humidity, and the other a low humidity
“Fruit and vegetables which are best served with a crisp crunch and may be sensitive to moisture loss, such as cabbage, carrots and strawberries, should be kept in the high humidity drawer (30-40 degrees) to avoid wilting.”
She further explained: “The low humidity drawer should be stocked with goods that produce high-ethylene gas and aren’t as sensitive to moisture loss such as kiwis, stone fruits and apples. This will keep the products as juicy as can be and avoid unnecessary food waste.”
Mimi advised not to fill the fruit and veg drawer more than two-thirds full because poor airflow can spoil the food. She also suggested covering pre-chopped vegetables with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out, and then storing them in an airtight container.
If veggies like celery or lettuce are looking a bit limp, put them in a cup of water and store it in the fridge door for 12 hours to help freshen them up and restore nutrients.
